Temeraire

Hi Dave Good to see you back and the layout alive and well fella, it’s been a while!😉

Evening all Nothing to report on the layout but as the weather gets better and it's more temperate in the shed I hope to make some progress soon. However, a couple of locos that had been on the workbench for a couple of years awaiting finishing off made into the shed in February and I realised that I hadn't posted the pics I took. Yet another 50, this time 50026 Indomitable in a scruffy condition, I might have overdone the scruffy! A regular in Devon around 1990 on parcel trains 47582 County of Norfolk rounds the curve on the approach to Exford park station.

Evening all Its been a week since the exhibition at Basingstoke and tonight I remembered that I took a couple of pics. Last week was the first time the MoD shunter was able to play its part. After fitting a third motor/gearbox solution and a new chip and stay alive I think Paul was glad to finally see the back of it! Thanks Paul! Seen here arranging a few vans for collection by the mainline loco 270 looks at home inside the fence. A closer view of 270 from the other direction. Having given the shunter a good 'run-in' on the shed layout it performed well all weekend and only hesitated when the wheels had got dirty by Sunday lunchtime. Once they were cleaned it carried on doing what it was built for.

Just a quick thank you to the organising team for your hospitality this past weekend, the Tidworth team thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Morning all, Just a quick thank you to the team behind the Basingstoke exhibition for their hospitality over the weekend and my operating team Chris, Rhys, Andy, Scott & Stu for their help keeping things moving for two days, I hope you all enjoyed yourselves. Also there was a 'guest' appearance by Steve (Gearjammer) who 'had a go' on Saturday afternoon. Tidworth was back home and put away by 6pm last night and probably won't see the light of day until we do it all again at Brockenhurst at the end of May.

Evening all Tidworth is all set up ready to go in the morning. If you’re visiting be sure to drop by to say hello and see Mr Peters in action! 😉

Two years running, you might as well move back here! 😉 It'll be good to see you again and a beer or two to catch up. You'd be welcome as a guest operator too if you're not tied up with a club layout.

Evening all Just a reminder that Tidworth is on the road again this weekend when we'll be making the short trip to Basingstoke. We're due to be located at the far end of the main sports hall near the entrance to the dance studio so drop by and say hello. Aldworth School Western Way Basingstoke RG22 6HQ Opening Times: SAT 10.00 - 17.00 SUN 10.00 - 16.00 Admission is £8 with accompanied children free.

Come and play with Tidworth next weekend at the Basingstoke Ex?

Hi Andy Good to see you back in the POD hopefully with a large slice of Mojo! Already looking better with the backscene done on that corner.

Colin you have a PM.

Here you go James. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/153230-wessex-west-avonbury-to-lostwithlea-wessex-mendip-stone-to-cornwall-china-clay-multi-deck-layout/page/4/#comment-5062778 Good to meet you this weekend and hope your journey home was trouble free. Give me a shout if you're up this way again.

Morning all A big thank you to Colin and his team for a very well organised and busy show, we all had a great time. Thanks to Rhys, Mike and Graham for their company and assistance throughout. As usual I didn’t take any pics but quite a few have appeared on the layout thread so thanks to those that took the time to post.

We did Taunton in 2019 when the extension was probably 70% finished but I guess Steve might invite us again sometime. 😉

Not unless someone invites us! I know the Exeter show took details sometime ago but not heard from them.

Morning all Tidworth loaded and ready to go. just await the arrival of @Rhysb plus Ray with Feltham Rd for a bacon roll and cuppa and we’ll be off! see you tomorrow and say hello if you’re passing.

Evening all Just a quick reminder that Tidworth is on the road this weekend at the Tonbridge Exhibition, so come and say hello if you're visiting the show on Saturday. Saturday 18th February The Angel Centre Tonbridge TN9 1SF Show open 10am-5pm. See you Saturday! 😉

Sorry Andy What I meant to say was a military train, a few warflats on way to Tidworth.

Bubble car? 🤣 Coat already on, see ya!

Thanks for the comment Rich, have a go I’ve not done anything difficult but I’m quite pleased with the result. One thing the pics showed up was the silencer protruding at the exhaust outlet. Hadn’t realised that when I put the body back on the port lines up with the blanked off hole underneath which is higher and pushed that end up.🙄 Removed the blanked off port and it all sits down properly now.

Or you can just cut up and modify the original as I have done.😉 See my layout thread for 59003.

Dinner done I'm back with the pics! Yeoman Highlander emerges into the light making its debut on the layout having dragged the PTAs up from the fiddle yard. 59003 storms through Exford Park station. The loco seems to have been turned around on its journey and is also now heading the other way.😉 Now powering around the curve towards Exford Park station. '003 passes the platelayers hut on the approach to the station. Passing the camera. That's it no more 59 pics for the time being on with the next project!

Evening all, A belated Happy New Year to everyone. Once the festive season was out of the way, I've been working on some workbench projects in the warmth of the house rather than the shed! Inspired by Richard's (Everard Jct) video I was spurred on to have a go at my newly purchased Class 59, which I'd decided to renumber into 59003 Yeoman Highlander. As 59003 is one of the earlier ones it meant some different changes had to be made. First up the modification to the lighting to give the correct forward combo of lights and rather than try to add very small wires to very small contacts on the lighting boards as Richard did, I chickened out and chose to add solder bridges to the main pcb instead! As this is going to be one of the early ones in the period I model, the exhaust port is on the wrong side so out with the saw! The exhaust silencer was lowered by rubbing on emery paper until I was happy with its look after removing the extended part, which was also lowered slightly. Once the height was good, I cut off the exhaust end about 9mm in from the end, turned it around and glued it back on. Plasticard was then added to form a new end. The join was then filled and filed smooth before it was sprayed a steel colour as a base. The NRN pod was also repositioned at this end and the holes filled. After swapping DMs with Richard he sent me his redundant plinth from his model and this was added above the cab at the other end. (Thanks again Richard) The NRN pod was fashioned from a small square of plasticard with some grooves filed into it. (Not 100% be gives the right impression) The moulded pod in the centre of the roof was removed and the roofline built back up with plasticard and filler. The roof was masked off to the cantrail line and blown over with this paint that I had left over from another project, whilst not a perfect match its close enough before weathering hides it. Once all done the lights were painted with some orange paint to tone them down, which I need to revisit as they are still too white/blue, the plates were then added and the whole loco was then weathered. There you go then, I'm sure the rivet counters will pick it apart but I'm happy with the overall look, especially from normal viewing distance and I'll post some pics of it 'in service' later.

Evening all Just a final pic for this year as an excuse to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 37068 'Grainflow' rolls into the yard having collected a rake of vans from the exchange sidings as 33117 arrives with an afternoon London train. I hope you all have a great festive season and hope to see you out on the road with Tidworth next year at Tonbridge in Feb, Basingstoke in March and Brokenhurst in May.

Evening all Back on the laptop tonight so here's another. 'The Sapper' 47142 enters the yard to runround with vehicles for the depot at Ludgershall as the London train is departing a little late. The signalman must have been a bit lively with the route setting once the duff had entered the loop, and he's already got the red light back up!😉 That's my justification/story for an obviously posed photo for Mr Nevard.😂